As We Are
by Daisy's Blog
Summary: Newest chapter: "Being with you hurts Ryoma-kun." There was a feeling of uncertainty as he stared at sad, chocolate brown eyes. "Why?" "Because you don't know." They always leave he thought. A series of oneshots Sakuno X Ryoma 7/21
1. Monthly Ritual

Monthly Ritual

Disclaimer: I do not own **Prince of Tennis** or **Love and Basketball**

Summary: RyoXSaku...'nuff said -

A/N: This is harder than it looks people.

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The ceiling was really interesting.

How did people make the ceiling so smooth and flat? It was weird. Nothing in life is ever that perfect.

Ever.

She paused for a moment and then continued on with her rambling. And why didn't painters ever paint the ceiling? If they're going to paint the four walls in a room, they might as well paint the ceiling as well mused Sakuno.

The girl's tennis team regular sighed and ran a hand through her wavy hair. She wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. It was already midnight and she was sure all of Japan could hear her parents' shouting match. Her grandmother's aggravated remarks of "This is why I won't let her live with you two" weren't helping the situation either.

There was nothing else to do but impose on his hospitality. Again. Sakuno gave an uncharacteristic twitch of annoyance and then another defeated sigh. She hated feeling helplessness. She really was grateful to Ryoma, but having to continuously rely on and burden him _repeatedly_ bothered her. She felt weak and having to rely on people only made her self-loathing grow.

She scoffed at herself. And here she thought she'd grown a bit since her middle school days. High school seemed no different to her. With one last sigh she got up from her bed and grabbed her pillow.

Once a month she'd visit her parents and spend the night at their house. And once a month she'd have to drag herself out of her room and into Ryoma's to get away from the chaos that ensued from her parent's constant fights.

Sakuno rolled her eyes heaven ward. Really, her parents couldn't even go through one night without getting into an argument. She bitterly wondered how they had managed to hold onto their slipping marriage for so long.

A petite figure could be seen making its way through a darkly lit room toward an open window; the curtains twirling in an intricate dance with the wind. She gritted her teeth and clutched the fluffy pillow closer to her chest when the cold wind blasted her. As soon as she stepped outside a tremor ran through her body, bare feet tingling from the cold touch of the dewdrop lined grass.

The weather was strange for a summer night.

Sakuno trudged over to the house next door and knocked on the window. Moments later a boy with unruly hair made his way to the window. He lifted up the windowpane and Sakuno cautiously climbed into a warm room while dulled amber eyes followed her. "Sorry to bother you again. Did I wake you?"

"I'm fine, I wasn't sleeping. The futon's already been laid out for you."

A wry smile made its way onto the girl's face. Of course he hadn't fallen asleep, he couldn't.

A rustle could be heard as the two settled into their respective beds. "Ryoma-kun?"

"What?" came a gruff reply.

"Thank you."

The corners of a mouth tugged upwards in a tiny smile.

"Hnn."

That simple exchange of words meant more than the two merely acknowledging the other's existence. It expressed their unique friendship and mutual understanding of one another. Wrapped in the warm presence of each other, the two closed their eyes.

Neither knew when or how their monthly ritual began, but both were grateful for it all the same.

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Author's Note: I already know the direction I want this to go but I am open to any and all suggestions and feedback would be appreciated.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!


	2. Knowing

A/N: I do not own POT ^-^

Chapter 2 redone!!! It's not as lame this time!

By the way, Sakuno and Ryoma are in college so they're in their early twenties. They're not in middle school anymore.

Warning: This one is really fluffy.

Summary: "You loved me." he whisphered. "That was a long time ago." And there was sweet, bitter silence.

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"I'm sorry Ryoma-kun. I really am but I just can't." Her desperation for him to understand was evident in her voice.

"And why the hell not!?" His piercing yellow eyes glared in anger and maybe she was just imagining it, but she could have sworn there was a look of hurt and betrayal in his eyes. Whatever it was she ignored it and let desperation take over her.

"Because!" she shouted. As if that was all she need to say to get him to understand, to back off. Because if he kept this up, she didn't know how much longer she could keep refusing him. But this was Ryoma-kun, and he wouldn't understand.

"Because why?" asked Ryoma in a low, feral growl. There was an edge to his voice, as though it was taking all his self-control to keep himself from launching himself at her. But he didn't scare her. Instead the sense of power radiating off him only attracted her to him even more.

Then her eyes widened at her thoughts and she turned her head away. "Because I love him." she whispered. Her reply was shaky and he noticed.

"No, you don't! You love me!"

Desperation turned to anger.

"How can you just waltz back into my life, expect to sweep me off my feet and have me drop everything, everything in my life to follow you around like a lost puppy." And this time it her eyes that pierced him, and it was him who turned his head away.

"That's not what I want." An emotion Sakuno couldn't name flashed across his face. But she ignored it, she couldn't afford to notice things like that.

"Then what is it? Cause frankly I don't really know what you could possibly want from me." It was a lie and they both knew it. She was never a good liar anyway.

"I want you to leave him." 'For me', those two unsaid words hung in the air. His voice was quiet, soft. And those normally strikingly powerful amber eyes were resigned. Sakuno tried to hold onto her anger, but couldn't. Not when he was looking at her like that. There was a longing in his eyes that made her heart ache, and she couldn't bear it. So she turned away again.

"I told you, I can't." Her words were barely a whisper. She was weakening, and she hated herself for it.

He wanted her to understand, needed her to know that he wanted her. That this wasn't just some whim on his part. He had never gone out of his way, and never needed to go out of his way for something he wanted. He knew this was uncharacteristic of him, but he wanted her and only her. Because she was the only who was patient enough and understanding enough to be alright with being the number two priority in his life. Tennis would forever be his only love but Sakuno came close. And this should have been enough for her, would have been enough for her. But as Ryoma was slowly realizing, time goes on, and people change. But he couldn't give in this easily.

Ryoma looked her squarely in the eyes and with a gentle yet firm voice, said. "Yes you can, you just won't."

"Wha- I don't have much of a choice in the matter Ryoma. I'm already taken. I've been dating Fuji-senpai for nearly a year! And I can't- won't, leave him just because you tell me too. Look, Ryoma-kun, there was a time when I had a crush on you. But it was just that, a crush! Why can't you understand! You've been away for too long, and now you're too late. I've grown up and I don't need you anymore." She paused to take a few deep breaths.

"Just move on Ryoma."

"No."

The stubborn way he said it made her stomach lurch and her heart leap, and it paved the way for desperation to rise to the surface again. "I have a good thing with Fuji-senpai and I don't want to ruin it. Really Ryoma-kun, do you honestly think I live in this fairytale world where I actually think Fuji-senpai is some prince who's the only one for me? There will always be times when I'll wonder if I could have fallen in love with someone else, and I probably could have. No love is perfect, but I loved him first." She was pleading with him to understand. Then she added, "And frankly, life with you isn't a walk in the park either. "

Resentment laced his voice and he ignored the last part. "You loved me first."

"That was a long time ago."

"What if you never stopped?" Ryoma lifted his hand and reach for her face to brush aside a stray wisp of hair. "What if-"

Sakuno cut him off. "There is a boundary that I can't cross." Sakuno squared her shoulder and hoped her voice didn't waver.

"Not even for you." Ryoma flinched, but he refused to back off.

"Then what about for yourself Ryuzaki."

"What are you talking about?" Confusion and panic tinged her voice.

"Can you honestly say you love him?"

"Wha- of, of course!" Indignation flushed her face.

"You sure about that."

Sakuno made no reply this time.

"If you truly love him, then why does it seem like you're trying to convince yourself that you're in love with him." Her mouth gaped open, and Ryoma took a step towards her. "Because when I see you with him, your eyes don't light up the way they do when you're with me. When you're with Fuji-senpai, you always put a distance between him and you. But when you're with me, when you're with me you're different. You're more open, more relaxed, and more at ease. You're more comfortable with me because the truth is, he loves you more than you love him. Do you still think you can love him unconditionally?"

"Well contrary to popular belief, love is an emotion that can be forced." Her voice was dry and humorless. She felt a bit nervous with the close proximity.

"Can you really be happy with him?" He took yet another step towards Sakuno, bringing them closer together. And still she didn't move.

"I can." Her answer was firm, because it was true. She could be content with Fuji-senpai. He was a good person, and he could offer stability-something she hadn't had for awhile.

Ryoma took another step towards Sakuno, and she felt her heart flutter. Ryoma was close enough for Sakuno to count every freckle on his cheek, and she wondered why she hadn't noticed that look in his eyes earlier. The look of a predator stalking its prey.

"But you'd be happier with me."

She tried to refute that. She wanted tell him that was a lie, but couldn't. It was the truth. As content a life she could have with Fuji-senpai, she would be so much happier with Ryoma-kun.

Ryoma took one last step towards her. And now they were close enough to kiss. Ryoma tentatively reached out a hand and placed it on her cheek, and the other wrapped itself around her waist.

And she didn't pull away.

His eyes went to her lips and he ran his thumb over them. Sakuno gasped at the light touch and felt something she didn't usually feel with Fuji-senpai.

It wasn't as though she didn't feel anything with Fuji-senpai, there was a certain passion between them but she never felt like this. It always seemed as though something was missing from his touch, and she had found it with Ryoma. With Fuji-senpai, she was trying to fill up a bottomless hole, but with Ryoma-kun... With Ryoma-kun, that hole just filled right up and overflowed with an emotion she was too afraid to put a name to.

And then he kissed her.

It was soft and tentative at first, but the kiss soon became passionate; it left her breathless and wanting more. Suddenly she wasn't sure if she could even be content with Fuji-senpai.

"I love you."

"I know."

"Even if you choose him over me, I'll still love you."

Crystalline tears formed in her eyes and her voice broke. "I know."

Ryoma wrapped his arms more firmly around Sakuno and comforted her. "I won't make you choose right now. I'll give you time to think it over fully."

He hugged fiercely her one last time and kissed her on her forehead before forcing himself to let her go.

"Goodnight Sakuno."

"Goodnight Ryoma-kun."

Ryoma turned and walked away, leaving her alone in the park but Sakuno stopped him.

"I don't know who I'll choose, but I want you to know this." Sakuno tried to steady her voice and shake off her nerves.

"I did love you."

Ryoma gave her a small, sad smile and replied.

"I know."

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Hope you guys like it!


	3. Peeping Tom

Disclaimer: I do not own POT

A/N: After reading some of the reviews, I decided to go in a new direction with this. But I only really revised the ending. The rest of the chapter is pretty much the same. However, the ending might still be a bit confusing until I put up part two.

Summary: Then the pretty girl crossed her arms, cocked her head, and gave a feral grin before she uttered the words that damned him.

"Ah! The peeping tom."

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Click Click Click

The sound of a camera went unnoticed by the girl's tennis team.

"Baka-oneechan. Making me do her dirty work for her. Why can't she gather intel on her rival herself." Mumbled a boy.

At first the red head had been excited at the prospect of having a step sister his own age who also happend to be a tennis player. That feeling of glee soon died after he actually met said sister. She was a tyrant and even though he was older by a month she insisted he call her onee-san. The spiky haired boy had tried to politely refuse at first but then his new sister decided to show her true, more violent self.

The boy's hand unconsciously went to a bump on his head that still ached.

So now he was on the roof of one of the school buildings, only the building he was on didn't have roof access. No. Because that would be just too damn easy. Instead he had to sneak into Seigaku High, climb out a window and scale a building to get to the slanted (mind you) roof just to find the perfect angle to spy on the team. And on top of that, he was afraid of heights. But he was more afraid of his sister. The boy sighed in self pity. He had no idea how he was gonna get back down.

The boy put away the camera and picked up a video recorder. His current mission was to gather information on a Ryuzaki, Sakuno.

He put down the recorder for a second, Ryuzaki Sakuno. That name seemed familiar but he couldn't put a face to the name. A pair of cinnamon eyes and twin braids flashed across his mind. Suddenly he had a craving for a tennis ball shaped onigiri.

He shook his head to snap out of his daydream and lifted the recorder to press play. Apparently, this Sakuno-chan was a brilliant tennis player who had managed to land a spot on the regular team in her second year of middle school after only one year of tennis lessons. But her success was based more on hard work rather than talent.

She had remained in the shadows despite her sudden rise to fame because of her value for privacy and the only time rival teams had a chance to observe her was on the tennis court in competitions.

Che. Figures his sister would only give him the hard assignments.

How she had kept a low profile was a secret. Everyone was dying to get information on her because now she was the regular girls' team captain and this was the second year of high school: the last chance to win nationals because during senior year, students would only have time to focus on college entrance exams. There would be no room for slip ups.

So far the red head already knew that she was the granddaughter of the boy's tennis team coach, and that she her right handed player. She was an all rounder and though she wasn't as fast as or as strong as the best, she a mind for tactical playing.

She had a flexible style of tennis and every year her playing style seemed to change just slightly but it was enough to catch her opponets off guard. It was his job to find out what style she had been working on this year. So far he had taken a profile picture of her and was now videotaping a match. She was a fairly good tennis player and an even better captain. She controlled her players well and politics seemed to be her thing since she was good at keeping the peace. She had a firm hand and expressed her authority freely, but didn't let it go to her head unlike the boy's tennis team captain on the other side.

From his vantage point he could also see the boy's tennis courts and koshimae. He gave a wide, toothy grin. He knew all about the boy's tennis team captain. He has a body of steel, his fingers release deadly toxins, and he'll stare you down with his three eyes! The boy nodded to himself knowingly. The pillar of Seigaku High, Ryoma Echizen was definitely a force to reckon with.

Then the boy went back to concentrating at the task at hand. As much as he wanted to run down to the court and demand a match from the arrogant captain his fear of his sister outweighed his desire to play Ryoma. This alone, if nothing else was proof of the ferocity of his sister.

He lifted up the camera to continue recording the female captain's match on the other side and all the color left his face when he saw that the match was over. Talk about the walking dead.

But he kept recording in case the girl's tennis captain played another match. His sister would kill him if he came back home empty-handed. He followed the captain with the camera as the girl walked over to the back of the courts (and consequently closer to Kintarou's position) where there was cold, running water. She dunked her head under the faucet and let the cool water soak her head. When she came up she attempted to keep her shirt dry but the water just ran by the towel and further soaked her already sweat stained uniform .

The boy almost dropped the recorder and blushed. He hadn't noticed just how pretty she was. Mission forgotten the boy zoomed in with the camera.

The brunette sighed at the mess she had created as her shirt was now thoroughly soaked, her lean form. The girl then tried to clean up the strands of hair that escaped her high ponytail and then gave up in frustration and undid her ponytail entirely.

Oh man. She was totally his type.

The boy squeaked as he almost slipped off the roof from leaning forward too much.

After a moment's panic the boy grinned. Safe! And now he had the perfect view of the girl. He was by no means a pervert, but he was a boy after all. And she was a very pretty girl. She had a slim build but powerful build and still managed to look graceful and feminine.

He zoomed in on her face. She didn't have a single pimple on her porcelain skin and she had lost her baby fat long ago. She had the longest eyelashes he had ever seen and her cheeks had a splash of color from her moment of exercise. He moved the camera to her lips and sighed at the full shape and rosy color. Then he followed a drop of moisture on her cheek as it rolled down her long neck, over her collarbone and BAM!

He let out a girlish shriek as he suddenly saw a tennis ball head straight for him and smash the recorder into his face. The momentum caused him to fall off the roof and land on the boy's tennis courts.

Birds were flying in a circle above his head as people gathered around him.

His vision was swimming and he was seeing double when a familiar head poked out of the crowd and his eyes widened in recognition.

"Ah, you look pretty." smiled Kintarou as he squinted to get a better look at the strangely familiar girl.

Then the amber eyed girl crossed her arms, cocked her head, and gave a feral grin before uttering the words that damned him.

"Ah, the peeping tom."

Kintarou frowned in confusion as it hit him. "Since when where you a girl Koshimae?"

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Later in the nurse's room, Kintarou could be seen sporting a large bump and an ice bag, Ryoma fuming, and Sakuno attempting to appease a furious boyfriend.

"This moron. I should've hit him harder." muttered Ryoma.

"Now, now Ryoma-kun. If you had hit him any harder Kintarou-kun would be dead now. You've already addled his brain enough as it is."

"Have you _seen_ his recorder!" screeched Ryoma. "He was checking you out!" seethed Ryoma.

"But Koshimae!" whined Kintarou. "I didn't know she was your girl and my sister made me do it!" Tears were pooring from both eyes. Although he had already explained the situation to Ryoma, Ryoma wasn't having it.

"Mou Ryoma-kun, Kintarou-kun already apologized. You really should forgive him. Look at how upset he is." pitied Sakuno.

"Right Sakuno-chan? He's just so mean!" Kintarou used this opportunity to latch onto Sakuno and cry onto her shoulder.

"There, there Kintarou-kun." soothed Sakuno as her motherly instincts kicked in. Kintarou wrapped his arms around Sakuno's waist tightly and pulled her as close to him as he could.

"That's why you should just dump this jerk and come to me." cooed Kintarou quite cheekily.

In a flash Ryoma had Kintarou by his collar.

"I'll kill you."

There was glint in his eye that showed he meant it.

"Sakuno-chan! Sakuno chan save me!" he cried again. And once again Sakuno had to pry the two apart.

"Ryoma-kun he's just joking. And besides don't you have to get back to practice? Let's just send Kintarou-kun off and go back." sighed Sakuno.

"I sent everyone home and ended practice for today." grit out Ryoma.

"What? But you're the monster who holds practice even on rainy days. Why would you-" Sakuno paused and smiled up at Ryoma. And Ryoma shuffled nervously.

"Sakuno-chan, pay attention to me too." whined Kintarou with his best puppy dog eyes.

Ryoma twitched as he turned to leap at Kintarou again. "This idiot..." he murmured under his breath. The only thing stopping him was Sakuno.

"Kintarou-kun I'm really sorry but the rest of today I want to spend with Ryoma-kun. We don't get a lot of time off so I really want to use this chance to go on a date with him. Sorry Kintarou-kun." Sakuno put his hands up in an i'm sorry gesture.

Kintarou sighed. "You're a good girl Sakuno-chan. I need to get back to my onee-chan anyway. So goodbye hug!" smiled Kintarou widely as he quickly stepped toward Sakuno. Only in his haste he ended up hugging Ryoma as he had stepped out in front of Sakuno the moment he saw what Kintarou was trying to do.

"You. Go home." he grit out.

"Fine fine." groaned Kintarou. "Bye Sakuno-chan."

"Good-bye Kintarou-kun." Sakuno giggled as she waved bye and Ryoma grabbed her hand and practically dragged her out of the room.

"Thank you Ryoma-kun." said Sakuno in a sing song voice.

"For what." he asked gruffly.

"For being my Prince." she said cheekily before pecking him on the cheek.

When Ryoma turned to stare at her she playful stuck out her tongue at him in a teasing manner.

Amber eyes took in a feral glint as he pulled her in close similar to the way Kintarou had.

"Mine." was all he said before kissing her squarely on the lips.

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Please Review. It makes me want to write more!


	4. Misunderstandings

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own POT.

Author's Note: This is my atonement for the teeth rotting fluff in chapter 2 XP

Summary: A series of misunderstandings occur before Sakuno realizes that they might not be such a lost cause after all.

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They were sitting underneath a blooming sakura tree, backs against the large trunk. And with every gust of wind, flowers and petals would gracefully float down, bringing with it a light floral scent.

Sakuno took in a deep breath. She always loved this season because of the cherry blossoms. It made you feel so calm and relaxed.

"I'm leaving for America again tomorrow."

She had known. How could she not. As the prince, every move he made, every little twitch of a finger was recorded and broadcasted to the entire school through his fans. And she supposed he had expected her to have known for that reason. But it still hurt a little that she was always the last one to know she thought bitterly.

Ryoma didn't have to look at her to see the little dimple that came with the frown on her face. It was always hardest to tell her, he thought with a little sigh.

And silence blanketed the two like a heavy snowfall.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A frown tugged on Ryoma's lips.

Ryuzaki still hadn't come yet. She had only been late the first time he had left for America. And since then she had always been punctual. At every game, and at every flight, she had been there. Silently encouraging and cheering him on. And eventually, he had come to expect and even look forward to her presence.

She had an almost calming effect on him. As honored as he was to be Seigaku's pillar, sometimes he felt as though the weight was crushing him. It helped to know that he had someone to lean on when he was exhausted past the point of reason.

So where was she now he wondered.

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Sakuno ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She had just barely managed to get ready on time after over sleeping a bit; and then she had, quite literally, run into Kintarou-kun. Chaos of course ensued. It had taken her sometime to assure him that yes, she was alright, no, she didn't need to go to a hospital, and yes, she was indeed in a hurry.

She snuck a peek at her watch and willed her legs to go faster. Maybe he hadn't boarded the airplane yet. Maybe the flight had been cancelled or even pushed back. Flights these days were never on schedule. So it wasn't too much to hope that things would finally go her way today she reasoned.

But her luck had never been good, and it wasn't as though she was that important to him. Sure she always faithfully went to each game and flight rain or shine, but so did many of his other fans. She wasn't as attention grabbing as Tomoka, and was instead content to quietly cheer him on and offer a shy smile every once in awhile. But she doubted he ever noticed. If he had as her nosy senpai-tachi claimed, then he certainly never said anything.

As the depressing thoughts clouded her mind, her legs unconsciously slowed down to a slow walk. This was stupid she thought. He doesn't care, so why am I in such a hurry. And before she could take another step, she stopped altogether.

Then Kintarou grabbed her hand and proceeded to drag her through the airport. He had insisted on coming along when he discovered exactly where and to whom the petite brunette was heading to. "Ne, Sakuno-chan, why're you slowing down? We've gotta hurry up if we wanna catch Koshimae before he leaves!" He said with a roguish wink.

And when Sakuno finally arrived in front of Ryoma, this was the sight that greeted him. A hyperactive Kintarou pulling along a flushed and disheveled looking Sakuno by her hand. The run had colored her cheeks pink and a couple strands of hair had come out of her ponytail.

He wanted to grin at the sight of her, he knew she would come. But seeing her hand linked with Kintarou's stopped that smile before anyone could notice it.

Ryuzaki started chewing on her lips at the bland look on Ryoma's face. Maybe she shouldn't have come this time. Maybe he was starting to get annoyed with her.

"Hey Ochibi! Look who came to see you off!" cried Eiji.

But the only reply the got from Ryoma was a careless grunt. "Hn."

And Sakuno's heart plummeted.

But she tried to keep a brave front and smiled as cheerfully as she could. "Sorry I'm late. I ran into Kintarou-kun this morning on my way here." She mentally congratulated herself for not stuttering despite the horribly awkward tension. She was never going back to that habit again.

There was no reply, only an uninterested look.

"Well, I got you a little goodbye present. It's a charm, for good luck, though I doubt you'll need it."

"I won't." He replied, and ignored the groans of Eiji and Momo. Even Kaidoh let out a dull moan. What, had he done something wrong he wondered. As arrogant as he might have sounded, it really was true that he didn't need luck with his skill and talent.

For a few seconds, Sakuno just stood there frozen in shock at the blunt rejection. "Ah, right…" she winced as she began to lower her outstretched hand. But Ryoma snatched it out of her hand before she could take it back.

"It's a present right? So it's mine now."

Sakuno blinked a couple times before her mind could fully process what had happened. As realization dawned on her, she began to smile.

"Right." She said.

"I have to go now, the flight's getting ready to leave." He said, all the while eying the linked hands. He frowned to himself, it might serve well to give Kintarou a little reminder just who Sakuno belonged to. Then he winced inwardly, that sounded just a tad bit too cheesy. He was spending too much time with Oyaji.

Sakuno nodded in reply.

But before turning around to leave, he grabbed Sakuno's hand, freeing her from Kintarou's grip. He fixed the seemingly sugar high boy with a glare before looking Sakuno in the eye and said, "I'll be expecting you when I come back."

And then he smirked as he watched a blush work itself up Sakuno's heart shaped face.

"Right."

Ryoma grinned to himself as he left to the sound of victory and his senpai-tachi's wolf whistles and catcalls.

After Ryoma had boarded the plane, Sakuno realized that he had slipped something into her hand as he broke Kintarou-kun's grip. It was a pressed flower, cherry blossoms to be exact. She smiled. Maybe they weren't a lost cause after all.

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A/N: For those interested, I will be taking requests for drabbles! ^-^


	5. Found Part I

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

Summary: He always did find her when she was lost.

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Sakuno frowned at the empty, aged building in front of her. This was most definitely not the club they were all supposed to meet at. They were celebrating Momo-senpai's birthday tonight, and on top of that, the old members of the Seikagu tennis club were coming. Everyone had been excited for the reunion as it had been nearly a decade since the year Tezuka-san led them to victory.

Sakuno couldn't help but let a small smile make its way up her face. Ten years. It had been ten years since she met Ryoma-kun. Time had seemed to fly and she herself could hardly believe she was in the middle of college. Many things had changed, but some things had stayed the same. Thankfully she had gotten rid of her stutter and gained quite a bit of self confidence through middle school. Although she still did have a bit of a shy streak and unfortunately, she still wasn't very good with directions if her current situation was any indication.

A chuckle slipped from Sakuno's lips when she thought back to the first time she had met Ryoma. She had likened him to a prince charming of sorts when he saved her on that train, although he claimed he was just annoyed by those jerks. He had become somewhat like an idol to her, someone to look up to and admire. And to respect. It was too bad she had repaid his kindness by making him forfeit his match. She inwardly winced. Directions weren't her strong suit. But he always did find her whenever she got lost, she thought with a fond smile.

Despite this and Momo and Eiji-senpai's attempts to "help" she always felt insecure around Ryoma. For the longest time her relationship with Ryoma had remained stagnant. Eventually she simply resigned herself to the belief that she would never mean anything to Ryoma. She was just a fly in his hair, a nuisance.

So she had been pleasantly surprised when he began to lean on her for support. They never said much at first, there just a sort of accepted, comfortable silence. Then he started to talk. He had said that there were just some things he couldn't tell his senpai-tachi. When she asked him if his father was an option he had blanched and gave her a look that plainly said no.

She quietly accepted how their relationship had progressed before curiosity began to eat at her. And one day she finally mustered up the courage to ask him why. Why did he choose her to confide in?

"Because Ryuzaki is trustworthy." He said simply.

She had blushed scarlet at that and responded with a quiet "Thank you."

And from friends, they became something more. It had been difficult at first because of Ryoma's numerous and sometimes crazy fans. But they worked through it together and the fans eventually learned to accept their relationship.

So here they were, she thought with a smile.

And then she frowned to herself. 'And here I am, lost, again.' She stared up at the building with a sigh, feeling a bit at a loss. Well, there was no point in moping and feeling sorry for herself. Sakuno turned around and started to retrace her steps. Maybe she had taken a wrong turn somewhere she thought.

"Hey baby. What's a cutie like you doing by yourself at this time of the night?"

Sakuno froze and felt her blood chill.

This, this was not good.

"If you're lonely, you could play with us if you want. We'll have _lots_ of fun." leered the man in the middle as he licked his lips.

One of them snickered and the other eyed her up and down.

As oblivious and naïve Sakuno was, she was far from stupid and she knew exactly what they wanted from her.

Her breathing hitched and she stayed rooted to the ground as the three men kept coming closer and she cursed herself for turning down Ryoma-kun's offer of picking her up. But she had work so she told him to go ahead without her because she didn't want him to miss out on a chance to meet up with the old senpai-tachi. She'd just go a little late she told him. She bitterly wished she could turn back time. God, what kind of idiot walks around by herself in the middle of the night in Tokyo. And in this part of town to boot. Only one thing kept her from panicking outright.

Ever so slowly, Sakuno's fingers wrapped around the little tin can she had in her pocket. Later, she would thank Tomoka for the gift and make the girl her favorite meal plus dessert. At first Sakuno had thought to politely refuse the gift. After all Ryoma-kun always came to her rescue. But on second thought it was better to accept the gift. She liked that she could depend on Ryoma-kun but she also wanted to be able to depend on herself. She didn't want him to have to come save her every time she got into trouble. It was enough that he would come find her.

She continued to eye them warily when saw the one to her left make a move to grab her out of the corner of her eye. With a speed that came from a sense of desperation and urgency she yanked the pepper spray out and squirted the contents into all three of the men's eyes.

Then she turned around and ran.

Lights and color and sound all whirled into one unrecognizable blob and the only thing she could feel was the adrenaline pounding in her head. She had to get away. There was no telling what they would do to her after pulling that stunt if they caught her. And she guessed they weren't above hitting a woman.

Sakunon slowed to a stop when her legs started to give out and hid in an alley. She could still feel the adrenaline rushing through her veins and she felt overly jumpy and hypersensitive to her surroundings. She was sure the head start she had given herself was enough to lose them. She held her breath for a moment and relaxed when she didn't hear any loud curses or footsteps. Closing her eyes she offered a silent prayer to whatever god was watching over her at that moment. She had always been such a magnet for trouble she thought regrettably.

She stayed there on the floor trying to catch her breath and regain her bearings when the large, flashing neon lights caught her eye. She grinned and nearly laughed aloud to herself. Maybe she should have thanked those thugs; they had driven her right in front of the club. She managed to take one step forward before a rough hand grabbed her by her arm and slammed her against a hard wall.

She gritted her teeth when her head bounced off the wall just to rebound. Her mouth opened in shock but only a pained whimper came out. She closed her eyes and willed the stars and bright lights flashing across her eyes away. Then chocolate brown eyes opened wide in full on panic when a hand clamped over her mouth and a breath that reeked of alcohol washed over her face.

"Found you, bitch."

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A/N: Please review. Constructive criticism welcome.


	6. December Blues

December Blues

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own POT. Really I don't.

Author's Note: It's a bit late but Merry Christmas!

Summary: Awkard moments and mistletoe serve as an effective cure for December blues.

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Ryoma blinked at the hammer in his vise like grip.

In his frozen grip to be exact.

It was the end of December, and clearly winter had come. The snow had blanketed everything in a thick film and the wind had a particular bite to it today. It was Christmas day, and Ryoma should have been inside with a hot cup of coco, playing video games. Instead he was on the roof of his house fixing the impression in the structure.

Admittedly it was his fault in the first place. After an overzealous game with oyaji the tennis ball had slipped out of control and put an impressive dent in the roof. Even oyaji thought so if his whistle was any indication.

His mother however was less impressed. His father refused to take any credit for the damage so here he was, at the mercy of the harsh winter winds.

Baka oyaji he thought.

And now he couldn't let go of the hammer.

He wanted to. He really did.

His job was finished and all he wanted now was to crawl off the roof and sit in front of a blazing fire. But he was going to have a difficult time getting off the two story house with only one hand. And he was damned if he asked oyaji for help. Ryoma scrunched his eyes shut when he felt a twitch begin to develop. No doubt the old man would just laugh at his predicament for a good hour before turning around and walking away.

And then out of the corner of his eyes flashed a pair of neatly pleated braids. He twisted his head to get a better look. 'Ryuzaki?' he thought. Judging by the angle she was facing, she was headed towards his house with a couple of boxes in tow.

And sure enough, he heard the familiar ring of bells after a few short moments.

"Sakuno-chan! What a nice surprise."

"What? Ryuzaki-chan is here? Where, where?" Ryoma almost groaned aloud. He could just picture the gleeful smile on his dad's face.

"A-ano" began the girl before the old man cut her off.

"What's Ryuzaki-chan doing here! Looking for Ryoma eh."

Ryoma guessed she had blushed scarlet judging from his dad's incessant giggling.

"Actually, I'm here to see you Echizen-san."

Ryoma leaned over the edge of the roof to see Sakuno practically shove the boxes in oyaji's face out of embarrassment.

"I made some baked goods and some holiday sweets for you as a token of appreciation for helping to take care of Oba-san when she was sick." She hurriedly bent over in a ninety degree bow that sent her bangs and braids fluttering.

"It's nothing to thank. The old hag's a good family friend. How is she now?"

Sakuno rose from her bow so fast Ryoma wondered if she had whiplash.

"No, it is a big thing. The doctors told me that if you hadn't been there to take her to the hospital when she collapsed, things could have gotten really bad." She said earnestly. Then her eyes clouded over and glistened in a way that probably made even his oyaji's heart twinge in empathy.

"It could have been really, really bad."

The old man awkwardly patted the little girl's back before softening his voice and showing a rare glimpse of his mature side. It was a side of his old man that he hadn't even been sure existed until now.

"But she's okay now, nothing happened. And she'll go back to scolding and yelling at her students as soon as winter break ends." He added with a cheerful grin.

Sakuno brightened up almost instantly and chirped back a reply.

"Hai."

"Would you like to get something warm to drink before you head back Sakuno-chan?" asked Ryoma's mom.

"No thank you, I'm alright." Before they could protest she added, "I have to head back and get dinner ready for oba-san anyway."

A wide grin popped up on the old man's face.

"You'll be a great wife Ryuzaki-chan. How about being my daughter-in-law?"

Ryoma thanked the heavens when his mom bopped his dad on the head and dragged him away before he could say anything else.

"Well have a safe trip Sakuno-chan!" smiled his mother.

"Thank you. I hope you enjoy the treats."

And then the door closed and Sakuno's shoulders slumped in relief. Ryoma-kun's father sure had a way of making things awkward.

She lingered a bit at the front door and lamented not being able to at least greet Ryoma-kun. She hadn't seen him in awhile. She gave a little sigh and proceeded to turn around and walk away when she thought she heard someone call her name. She paused for a moment before shaking her head. Ryoma twitched. Nothing seemed to be going his way today. He would have yelled louder but he didn't want oyaji to hear. So he did the next best thing.

Sakuno froze mid step when she felt something wet and cold hit the back of her neck. And then gave a little screech when she felt the snowball melt and slide down the back of her neck and inside her jacket.

"Oi."

She whirled around to find her attacker but saw no one.

"Up here." Whispered a voice.

"Ryoma-kun? What are you doing up there?" asked Sakuno incredulously.

Ryoma opted to ignore her. "My hands are frozen."

Sakuno's only response was to blink back and Ryoma grit his teeth in irritation. He really didn't want to ask for help, especially in such an embarrassing situation. But at the same time he didn't want his pride to keep him up there for another hour. So he hung his head in defeat and muttered the hated words while sticking out his bare, frozen hands.

"I'm stuck."

"Ah."

Ryoma continued to look at her expectantly.

"Er, um, oh! I have some gloves with me."

Sakuno took off her pink mittens with the rabbit décor and rolled it up into a ball and attempted to throw them up to him, but failed miserably. Sakuno gave Ryoma a sheepish look and he gave her a flat look in return.

"I'll just bring them up to you." She finished lamely in an attempt to appease him.

She climbed up the ladder in record time and plopped herself down on the roof next to Ryoma. She looked up when he gave her a quizzical look.

"You're not afraid of heights?"

"Oh, not at all. I've actually always loved climbing trees and such since I was little so I've also come to love heights." She answered with a little laugh.

"Hn."

"But Ryoma-kun, you have to let go of the hammer to put on the glove."

"I can't let go of it."

"Huh?"

"My hands are numb, I can't move my fingers."

"Ah."

There was an awkward silence for sometime before Sakuno timidly broke it.

"Then, if Ryoma-kun doesn't mind, I could massage your hand. The friction should help bring back some feeling."

She half expected him to brutally her down but instead he gave her his hand with a slightly annoyed expression. She smiled at his acceptance and took his hand into hers.

"Wow. You're hands feel like ice." Surprise and worry tinged her voice. "How long were you up here?"

"Long enough." He replied gruffly.

Sakuno stopped rubbing his hands for a moment to take out a scarf from her bag to wrap it around Ryoma's neck.

"Mou, you really should have dressed better for such weather Ryoma-kun." She scolded lightly, but Ryoma couldn't bring himself to care. Her hands were warm and he could start to feel the blood rushing back to his cold hand from her massage.

She continued to rub and massage the feeling back into his hand and then started to peel back his fingers away from the hammer. She placed one of her mittens over his hand and then began to give his other hand the same treatment. It felt good to regain feeling in his hands, and he couldn't bring himself to stop her. She labored over his hands with such an intense expression that for a moment Ryoma allowed himself to think that it was cute. She always did have a tendency to throw herself wholeheartedly to whatever task she had at hand.

"Better?" she asked.

Ryoma looked away with a slight blush. "Hn." He nodded.

They stayed motionless on the rooftop for several moments as an awkward silence settled over the two.

"Um, we should get back down don't you think Ryoma-kun?" asked Sakuno timidly.

Ryoma made no move to reply.

After they made their way down the ladder, Ryoma made to give back the scarf Sakuno gave him, but Sakuno shook her head and stopped him.

"It's yours." she said with a small smile. "It's homemade, so the quality isn't that great but-"

He cut her off before she could finish.

"I like it. It's warm."

Sakuno felt her face flush and ducked her head in embarrassment.

Another pregant silence settled over them and Sakuno finally opened her mouth to finally say her goodbyes when he stopped her.

"Stay here. I'll be right back."

Ryoma walked into the house with a brisk pace and came back a couple moments after, his breath coming out in little gasps. He held out a little box to her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Open it."

Sakuno complied and smiled brightly at the bracelet inside. Hanging off the middle of the silver chain was a charm. It was the one she had been staring at the last time they went to the mall together. She was surprised he had even remembered, it had been awhile ago.

"It's gorgeous. Thank you Ryoma-kun."

Her eyes were shining now and a grin made its way towards Ryoma's face.

"One more thing Ryuzaki." Sakuno tilted her head sideways in confusion before Ryoma leaned in to kiss her on the lips but changed course midway to her forehead and somehow ended up pecking her nose. His grin grew wider at her red face despite his botched kiss and directed her towards the little red berries hanging in a bunch above them.

Mistletoe.

"Merry Christmas Ryuzaki."

Sakuno fought back a fierce blush with her reply.

"Merry Chrismas Ryoma-kun."

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A/N: Constructive criticism welcome.


	7. Lost and Found

Lost and Found

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Same as last chapter.

Author's Note: Hey its been awhile. To avoid any confusion, this is not related to Found Part I.

Summary: "Being with you hurts Ryoma-kun." There was uncertainty as he stared at chocolate brown eyes. "Why?" "Because you don't know." They always leave he thought.

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She was staring at the floor and biting her lips. Fists clenched tightly at her side.

"It hurts Ryoma-kun." She said in a painful whisper. "Being with you hurts."

He gave no reply on his end, just stared mutely at the top of her chestnut colored head. She had pulled her hair up into a ponytail today he noticed almost mindlessly. He always had a thing for girls with ponytails.

Then he heard her make a strangled sound, and he knew she was crying, could picture the tears streaking her face and running down her chin.

And still he gave no reply.

What did she expect then, what did she want? He didn't, couldn't understand. So he said nothing and stayed silent.

An awkward and tense silence filled the air around them, thickening and choking them until it was almost like a tangible being itself.

It was killing them both until Ryoma, in an attempt to escape it blurted out the first thing that came to his blank mind and oh so eloquently broke the tension, sliced through it clean with just one blunt word.

"Why?"

She couldn't help but choke a laugh through her tears. He was always like this, well meaning but completely and utterly oblivious. He was senseless and blunt and incredibly ignorant of human feelings and of emotions, of _her_ emotions. He had no idea how much she had suffered because of him, for him. From the doubt, the criticisms from rabid fangirls and gossipers not to mention the magazine critics. And he didn't know, didn't appreciate it, and always, always took her for granted.

It made her wonder, what was she to him. What was she doing here with a man who barely even noticed her. Tennis was his life, but he was hers. So it was okay if she was second best she had thought, because that was enough. More than enough actually.

But now she was tired. Tired of the stalker fangirls, the paparazzi... tired of him. Him and his uncaring, unfeeling being she thought with a small spark of anger. But then it was quickly drowned byher sorrow and self pity. There was no more she could do she realized. She couldn't put up with it any longer. She had been drained dry and now there was nothing left to give.

"Because you don't know." she said simply.

She finally lifted her head to meet his eyes. He had been right, she was crying. Her chocolate brown eyes were swollen and puffy, her cheeks and pert nose flushed red.

He hated it when they cried, he always felt so helpless. But more than that, he always felt like he was somehow the cause of all those tears. But what was he supposed to do?

He didn't know.

So he turned his head away, away from the guilt, and away from the tears.

She sighed. What had she expected from him.

This she realized. This was exactly what she expected him to do, to say. To react. She only needed to confirm it.

It was quiet for some time and noone said anything. He knew he needed to tell her something to make her feel better, to fix this and try to somehow understand what it was she needed from him. But he didn't know what to say. He turned around to face her and opened his mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out. She was gone. She had silently slipped away in the darkness. He blinked in disbelief. She had left him cold, alone with a handful of chains and an unlocked lock with the key still inside, bound to nothing. To no one.

She was gone, free of him and him of her.

Finally.

Maybe now he could breathe a bit easier.

But instead he felt his chest tighten and his breath come in little gasps. He could see the little puffs of air that came out each time he took a violent breath. The little pain in his chest became sharper with each gasp until he wished he could stop breathing at all. A wetness covered his cheeks and the earth seemed to crumble beneath his feet.

He really did like her he realized.

Ryoma didn't know how long he stayed like that, rooted to the ground in the middle of the park. And it wasn't until he saw a familiar shadow hanging overhead that he realized he had sat down on the concrete at some point.

"She left." He whispered.

"They always leave." He said bitterly.

"Always."

"No." replied the shadow. "Not always."

Warm hands cupped his face and the figure smiled softly at him.

"I'm here aren't I?"

He stayed silent, and stared blankly at her with a muted expression. But the smiled never slipped from her face, and the twinkle in her eyes stayed warm and inviting.

Large hands grabbed at a braided pigtail and pulled the shadow closer to him, sinking into her warmth, head leaning on her shoulder. He held her tightly to him, as though to prove to himself that she was real. He wasn't imagining things and he wasn't dreaming. She was real he thought in awe.

"Thank you." His breath ghosted out and misted in the chilly night air.

"Thank you."

"I'll always be here."

"Always." She said, mimicking his earlier comment.

In the silence, in anger, in sorrow and pain, through everything, she had always been there. Despite the death threats from angry fans and gossip magazines and the chaos that was his life, she had always supported him and had stayed with him through thick and thin. Did she not expect anything in return he wondered.

He had once asked her why she so stubbornly stayed by his side.

She had looked up at him with small, knowing smile.

"Because we're friends." she had said simply.

'Friends' he thought.

Normally that memory comforted him. It gave him solace and a sort of peace that soothed his entire being. But at the moment he couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret. Regardless, the moment felt right.

"Sakuno." He breathed

"Sakuno."

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A/N: Bet you guys thought the first girl was Sakuno. Ahahaha. :) Inspiration seems to always strike me in the dead of night.

Please review, and as always, constructive criticisms are welcome.


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